The Silver Lining
by jms675
Summary: AU Future-fic- When the democratic powers of the world fell, one company, Pendragon Industries, has emerged victorious from the power struggle. For twenty years Pendragon Industries, headed by Uther Pendragon, has dictated the world. The persecution of the druids has become relentless and vicious until one man, Emrys, the saviour of the druids arises.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, this is a future-fic, set in a futuristic fictional world. The idea for this has been sitting with me for a while. It's been partly inspired by the tons of future fics out there as well those with thief Merlin. I've always imagined something like this playing out so I just had to write it. **

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The night sky formed a hazy backdrop against the tall skyscrapers that reached well above the clouds. The moon was a mere white dot in the sky. Humanity's progress was evident in the skilful architecture of the city, steel structures gleaming in the moonlight, with the extensive spindling overhead highways and the sprawling streets of the city. Large gondolas floated near their stations, ready to transport commuters once dawn broke. Neon lights flashed; some showing images of the latest fashion statement while others displayed building names. The air was warm after a long humid day. The low buzzing noise of the helicopters filled the city as they circled above, their lights illuminating the streets below, patrol cars prowled through the city all in search of one thing; The Thief.

Arthur Pendragon was seated in the cabin of one of the Hawkeye helicopters, watching the silent city below him. For six long months the detective force of Pendragon Industries has been hunting The Thief or Emrys as he has become known. Frankly, Arthur was getting sick of this whole charade. Every night it was the same thing; agents in helicopters and cars tried fruitlessly to hunt down this thief and every morning they returned empty handed. Pendragon Industries had greatly underestimated the thief in the beginning, but had learnt after paying for their ignorance. In three nights the thief had managed to blow up more than twenty patrol cars and helicopters, injure at least five agents and stole god knows how many dollars' worth of things. The Detective agents had quickly learnt their lesson. They were not dealing with just any thief. No, this was no ordinary thief; he had _magic_ and was immensely good at it too. He was elusive, intelligent and even mysterious. It was no wonder that Uther Pendragon wanted the thief captured and possibly even dead. This _Thief, _the so called _Emrys, _was about to destroy everything his father had built in the last twenty years and Arthur was not going to let him.

He scanned the streets intently. Beside him Ron was also scanning the city below through his infrared glasses. Arthur knew he should also be wearing his pair, but he found the red hue he saw looking through infrared glasses irritated his eyes. They always gave him a headache afterwards. "We're never going to catch him!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his glasses down. He massaged his head, while peering through the glass windows of the helicopter.

"No, we won't, not with that attitude" Arthur told the man sternly. He too was feeling as frustrated as Ron was but was doing his best not to show it. It was an important lesson Uther had taught him from a young age; displaying emotions shows your weakness. Arthur needed to stay in control, stay strong; he was not going to show just how much this _Emrys _irritated him. This thief was getting over-confident, reckless even and sooner or later will make a fatal mistake and when he does Arthur will be there to capture him. Arthur was determined to catch him, show the world, the _druids _that he was not some almighty _God, _and show them they had put their hope in the wrong man. _Hope. _That's what the thief, Emrys was doing. He was giving the druids hope and it was that more than anything that Uther could not tolerate. Rebellions had grown in the last few months, druids becoming more vocal in their stand against Uther and Pendragon Industries. Just two weeks ago, some druids had managed to blow up one of Pendragon Industries' factories. How they had done that, getting past all that security, still baffled the company. That was why Emrys needed to be captured.

"Catch Emrys, you destroy their hope" His father had said, and Arthur believed that.

"There!" Leon's excited voice from cockpit brought Arthur back to attention. Leon was jabbing at the window, pointing to something. Ron pulled his infrared glasses back on, and Arthur scrunched his eyes peering at the spot Leon was pointing to. A flicker of movement, a shadow on the top of one of the buildings, that's all that was seen. Some nights that was all they saw of Emrys.

Arthur spoke into his mouthpiece. "Target spotted on L6, move in, I repeat, _Move_ in"

Leon needed no further instructions already veering the helicopter in the direction the movement was seen, taking his place amongst several other helicopters. Ron grabbed his gun, checking if there were bullets, all the while grumbling under his breath. "Same thing every night…"

Arthur paid him no mind already used to his insipid attitude. As the helicopter moved closer Arthur could just make out the cloaked figure standing on the edge of the building. He had been on this mission for six months and he had yet to see the face of the legendary _Emrys._

He stood tall on the roof of the building, the darkness shrouding him, his cloak billowing in the soft wind. His hood was pulled up covering much of his face, leaving only two blue orbs visible. In the far distance he could see beacons of light heading towards him. Below him, he could see patrol cars circling the streets. Beneath his shadowy shroud, Emrys grinned; looks like the chase was just about to begin.

He looked up as a helicopter moved over his head, coming to a stop behind him, hovering a meter above the roof. Other helicopters came into view, forming a circle around him, trapping him or so they thought. Emrys smirked; six months they'd been hunting him and still they never learnt. He turned around to face the helicopter behind him, just as a blonde man jumped out of the hover pod. Oh how he enjoyed these nightly escapades with the son of Uther Pendragon himself.

"So Emrys" Arthur spoke, his voice a mere hiss as he pointed his gun at Emrys.

"Surrender…and I won't kill you" Arthur continued coming forward.

Emrys did not respond, remaining motionless, aware of the hovering helicopters behind him. Arthur's eyes twitched something Emrys has come to realise as the signs of frustration. He could tell the blonde was getting tired of this, but Emrys would never yield to a Pendragon. His keen eyes caught Arthur's fingers brush the trigger and even before it happened he knew what would happen. Emrys pulled himself and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, hearing Pendragon shout profanities to the black night.

He landed in a dark alcove almost on the bins. Pain seared through his right arm. His eyes bulged as he saw the hole on his cloak and the oozing red on his upper arm. The bullet had brushed past his arm. Just two inches right and he may have lost his right arm. Despite the pain in his right arm, he straightened as he heard a loud crash.

"Not so mighty after all, are you Emrys?"

Three men stood before him and one of them was Pendragon, a scowl etched onto his clean features and his eyes on the wound. Emrys cursed silently. Damn those Pendragons and their technology. In his pain he had completely forgotten about the device that allowed those without magic to follow someone teleporting away. The three men stepped towards him, coming closer to him. A flash of silver caught his eyes and he saw a metal handcuff in one of the men's hands. He had a feeling that those did not just restrain his hands and had no desire to find out exactly what they did. He backed up against the wall as the men advanced, letting the darkness conceal him. He waited till the men were just about to pounce to make his move. Within a blink of his eyes he managed to teleport himself to the top of the building, this time taking care not leave any lingering magic behind. The three men scrambled in the darkness not at all realising that the man they were searching for was now well above them smirking. Finally all three looked up simultaneously. Oh what he wouldn't give to see Pendragon's face right now. Chuckling lowly he vanished. The fun was over for tonight; he'd let them get too close.

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_Tell me what you thought! ;)_

_I don't know if you noticed but the device I mentioned- the teleporter thing- was inspired by Jumper- those things those Paladins used. Also I don't really know much about guns and bullets, so correct me if I have the description of Emrys wound wrong._

_I may continue this, but I'm not sure right now. I've got some ideas how the story would flow if it became a multi-chapter fic, but they're all a bit hazy right now. If you have got any ideas please do let me know!_

_**Edit**: Yes, I'm continuing this_


	2. Chapter 2

_Yep, I've decided to continue this fic, considering there are so many avenues that this story can take. So many people have encouraged me to continue. Thanks to all those wonderful reviews._

_So here's the next chapter_

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**Chapter 2**

The faint tinge of reddish orange was becoming more and more evident in the sky when Merlin finally stumbled into his humble dwelling. His home, or to be more specific his _shared _home wasn't much, just a hole in the ground, a trench of sorts, protected from prying eyes with wards and enchantments. It was somewhere in the outskirts of the main city surrounded by bushland. It was a small pocket of nature, surprisingly left untouched by the bustling Pendragon Industries. Merlin supposed the frequent floodings from the nearby River Kaila may have something to do with it, but he didn't really care as long as they left this place alone. He didn't want to think what would happen should the officials at Pendragon Industries learn that there were several druids living here. That was why they needed to be careful when teleporting here, especially now with those teleporting devices that had been created allowing those without magic to use the lingering magic a druid left behind to follow.

The room was dark when he staggered in. He could just make out the sleeping forms all over the floor and on the couch. He hoped he could quietly make it to his weedy mattress without disturbing anyone. Too late. A figure was already getting up.

"Meeerlin? Izzat You?" A sleepy voice asked as candle lit by itself. He could just make out Freya's weary face in the soft glow the candle created.

"Yeah, it's me" he told her quietly making his way over to the empty mattress beside her.

"Did you just get in?" She asked, standing up from her mattress and stretching.

Merlin nodded, then realised that she probably couldn't see him. "Yeah" he told her. All he wanted was to curl up on his mattress and go to sleep. His arm was still throbbing and he knew he should get it checked but he really did not want to listen to one of her lectures.

It seemed he would not get his wish when Will sat up having been woken up by their conversation. He groaned, blinking sleepily at them from his position on the other side of the small room.

"Merlin?"

"It's me"

"Any sign of Gaius?" He asked coming closer to the pair and sitting on Freya's mattress.

Merlin sighed, "No"

"Do you…do you think they got him?"

For a moment the three of them stared at each other fearfully. "I hope not" Freya said quietly.

"It's been nearly a week since we've seen him. He wouldn't just disappear like that without telling us"

Merlin breathed deeply, pondering on the implications of what Will had left unsaid. If someone you knew suddenly disappeared there was every chance that Pendragon Industries was behind it and it was very unlikely you would ever see them again. There were rumours that the company had labs that experimented on people, _druids,_ trying to understand magic. Then when the experiments were concluded the people used were disposed in the most inhumane way. Merlin didn't know whether to believe it. It seemed very likely for the company to do such a thing, but on other hand Merlin had to hope that even they must have some sort of humanity, compassion, left. Gaius had been a fine example. Gaius wasn't a druid, he didn't have magic and in fact he had even worked alongside Uther Pendragon in the company. Yet he had been a man of compassion and had a good sense of righteousness, helping the three of them when they most needed it.

Even though Merlin had only been five at that time, he still remembered the day Gaius had rescued the three of them as clear as crystal. They say that while some memories fade in time losing their solidarity, others still remain as iridescent as ever. This particular memory of Merlin's was part of the latter group, it was something Merlin would forever remember as would Freya and Will, he was sure.

Merlin, having just been thrown into a cell already occupied by two other children, had been feeling scared and alone. His parents had probably died in the fire that had destroyed his home and his chest hurt where a half-moon symbol was inked into his skin, branding him a druid. For two nights, he had spent curled up in a corner, not once speaking to the other two children, not even offering his name even after he learnt that their names were Freya and Will. On the third night Gaius had appeared like godsend, helping them escape in the cover of darkness, saving the three from a life of misery and possibly even death. Gaius had taken them to a druid elder he had known, and even though none of the three were part of his clan, he had taken them in. The three have always been grateful for what Gaius had done for them. He had risked his career and life to save them and had continued to do so, saving the druids he could. What Gaius did was risky and Merlin feared he had finally run out of luck.

Freya's gasp brought Merlin out of his distressed musings. "Merlin your hurt" She exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

"Shhh" Will attempted to quieten her with a finger to his lips. He looked behind him to make sure that the figure on the couch was still sleeping. Freya just gave him her most apologetic smile.

"It was nothing. A bullet grazed my skin" He told her, trying to pull his arm back from her iron grip. He had bandaged his wound as best as he could.

"Nothing?" Freya hissed trying to keep her voice low, "You got hit by a bullet. You could've died. You're Emrys not invincible"

Merlin rolled his eyes, but he let her unwrap the dressing. Letting out a disproving humph, Freya set about treating the wound with the meagre supplies they had. Merlin made a mental note to get (steal) some medical supplies the next time he went out. Merlin had first heard of the name Emrys and all the prophecies concerning the legendary figure from Iseldir, the druid elder who had taken them in. For some reason, Iseldir had seemed to think that Merlin was this Emrys, a man destined to bring magic back into this world. It didn't help that as Merlin grew up, he noticed how he was able to do things others couldn't, like move objects with just a thought. Freya like many others needed incantations to even perform the simplest of magic and Will's magic was so weak he couldn't even manage that without getting a headache. Iseldir had explained that everyone had different magical strengths; some people are more powerful than others and Merlin as Emrys, was perhaps the most powerful sorcerer to ever live. Merlin still didn't know whether to be terrified of the fact or be proud of it.

"If he's been captured we need to rescue him, he's done so much for us, and we can't just sit by and do nothing"

"We know Will. But we don't even know if he's been captured. And if he is we have no idea where he would be held captive."

And that, Merlin had to agree pretty much summed up this situation nicely.

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_So what do you think? Is it good? Is it bad? _

_PM me if you've got any questions. I have a vague idea how I want this to go, but I'd still like to hear other ideas so please feel free to suggest your ideas. _

_I've written the next chapter, and have a sketchy plan for the third. After editing I might post chapter by the end of next week._


	3. Chapter 3

_I was informed recently that I did not label this fic as AU. I have corrected the mistake now but I'm sorry if I have mislead anyone. This is an AU fic set in a futuristic world. It does not contain any reincarnation or immortal Merlin or anything of that sort._

_So on with the chapter. I've introduced some familiar characters..._

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**Chapter 3**

Arthur Pendragon stared at the message disdainfully.

_Urgent meeting at 11 at usual conference room. Be there or else…_

_Uther_

Arthur sighed, flopping back onto his luxurious bed. Urgent meeting? About what? He was too tired for this. He had only tumbled into his bed at dawn after another failure of a night. Emrys was proving to be too much of an annoyance. He did not want to sit through another boring meeting and nor did he want to listen to his father rant and rave about the incompetence of the detective agents in capturing the elusive Emrys.

Arthur briefly considered not showing. _Be there or else_…the message had trailed off. He knew he shouldn't let his father control him, being a man of twenty five years but he knew his father always backed up every threat. There were no empty threats where Uther Pendragon was concerned. Arthur remembered the last time he had thought it a good idea to not go to one of his father's _Urgent Meetings_. Arthur had been forced to spend a week working down in the lab helping Professor Gilbert. Between listening to Gilbert prattle on about the 'workings of science' and Arthur trying not to feel as useless as he did in the bustling laboratory and him trying to figure out what on earth the scientists were doing- he could've asked but he didn't really fancy listening to scientific gibberish- that week had seemed to take forever to pass and Arthur had never felt so incompetent. He remembered the endless lectures his father had given him that week.

_"You need to take more responsibility in this company…"_

_"You're not a child anymore Arthur…"_

_"You'll soon be the head of this company. You need to understand how everything works. I've worked twenty hard years on this company and I won't have your ignorance ruin it"_

Arthur shook his head. It was better if he just went to this meeting rather than the face the consequences. Groaning he made his way to his kitchen. His apartment was fairly large and had all the comforts he would ever need. It was his father who decided to reward Arthur with his own apartment when he had seen nearly four years ago how much interest and responsibility he was taking in the company. Arthur, who had been very eager to move out and leave his father's wings, had demanded he choose his own apartment. His father, surprisingly, had been happy with his choice.

A hunk of metal with clearly visible arms and legs came towards him. "Breakfast" he told the robot butler. Then he shook his head and said more clearly "Cornflakes and milk." Arthur winced as the robot tottered away to complete his instructions, the metal joints creaking. Arthur took a seat on the dinner table pulling out his phone and glancing at today's news. Apparently a bridge somewhere had collapsed and more pro druid protestors had been arrested. These druid supporters were becoming problematic, demanding rights and status for druids. Arthur would almost feel sorry for these druids who lived in fear of being caught everyday if he didn't know how evil they were, how evil _magic _was. That sort of power was only bound to corrupt a person's soul.

A moment later a bowl of cornflakes and a mug of milk were sloshed in front of him. Arthur let out an irritated sigh at the milk trailing down his sleep shirt. He turned to glare at the robot which had already moved away, creaking sounds following its wake. That robot was badly defected and Arthur would need to get it fixed soon. After shovelling down his cornflakes, Arthur got changed into suit and made his way downstairs to his car. He would need to hurry if he didn't want to be late. His car was sleek and black, fitted in with all the latest technology. It was the envy of many and Arthur had often seen Ron moon over it. Arthur would have let him take a ride in it if he wasn't strangely possessive of the car or witnessed first-hand Ron's reckless driving.

Half an hour later, Arthur was leisurely driving into the parking lot, the towering building of Pendragon Industries casting a massive shadow over most of the parking space. The colossal building was built with skilful engineering, designed to showcase an organised and powerful company. Arthur followed the intricately laid mosaic slates to the podium like steps. Swiping his card on the keypad, the revolving glass doors granted him entrance. He stepped through; giving the receptionist his award-winning smile, who smiled shyly and blushed, her dark skin flushing a rosy red. Arthur had come to realise that Gwen was a rather cheery character and nearly always had an optimistic smile. She wasn't the sort to stand out but she did have a subtle beauty to her with her soft brown curls framing her face and her easy going smile that nearly always graced her soft lips. He would've loved to talk to her and get to know her but he seriously doubted his father would find her 'suitable company'. In a society where money and status defined everything, Arthur would never be able to befriend a lowly receptionist, at least not in Uther's books.

The meeting room on the 19th floor was a white sterile room. The emblem of the Pendragon Industries swirled on the large screen on the front wall. A long rectangular table was situated in the middle of the small meeting room already occupied by four others who all looked up as Arthur strode to his usual seat at the immediate right of where Uther would usually sit or stand at the head of the table. Arthur nodded at them before taking his seat. Directly ahead of him sat Morgana, his foster sister. As usual, Morgana was immaculately dressed in an elegant purple dress. She cocked an eyebrow at him, silently asking if he knew what was going on but Arthur just shrugged his shoulders. He was in the same boat as her. Beside him Leon sat looking more awake and chirpier than Arthur did. Arthur couldn't figure Leon didn't look like he wanted to drop everything and get some sleep after having spent most of the night trying to chase down the elusive Emrys. But that was Leon for you, always eager and enthused. On the other side of Leon was Lancelot a complete and utter nerd when it came to magic. Arthur suspected that Lancelot was secretly a pro druid supporter. Beside Morgana was Geoffrey, an elderly man who Arthur was told, had been around since Uther founded the company. He was the official records keeper of the company and Uther seemed to trust him to keep some of the most secretive records safe. Already he had his laptop out and was tapping away.

Arthur glanced at his watch-five minutes past eleven- and frowned. It wasn't like his father to be late. He could also tell Morgana was feeling the same. It was then that the whirring sound was heard signalling the door opening. Uther strode in, positively beaming. Professor Gilbert followed also looking quite excited, hovering beside Uther.

"Ah, it's good of you all to join us on such a short notice" Uther smiled down at their confused faces.

"After extensive research, I believe we finally have the solution to solve all our problems." Arthur looked up at that, curious. What did his father mean by that?

"What do you mean?" It was Morgana that asked the question that was perhaps on all the minds bar Uther and possibly even Professor Gilbert. Uther smiled at her, but did not answer her question.

"For centuries the druids have been a menace," Uther continued on as if Morgana hadn't even asked her question, "Over the centuries, the druids have been persecuted, imprisoned, killed even, yet still they prevailed, hiding from us, spreading their evils. Twenty years ago, I created Pendragon Industries in an attempt to create a safer world. We at Pendragon Industries have been more successful in purging…magic… from this world in the last twenty years than any other moment in history. But evil, like Emrys" Uther spat the name in disgust, "still continues to linger, robbing us of peace"

Morgana snorted and muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like "Maybe it's you robbing their peace" Arthur kicked her under the table. Morgana had never agreed with Uther's beliefs. She had never thought that the druids were evil; she had never thought they should be shunned just because they had magic. Recently she had become more vocal in her beliefs.

Uther pointedly glared at his ward before continuing his speech. "As I said before, we have a solution to this. Professor Gilbert and his team have been working on something quite remarkable for the last year. And now their hard work has come to a rather fruitful result."

Uther retrieved a remote from his pocket and pressed a button. On the screen the swirling image of the company's logo dissolved as an image of a peculiar looking contraption apperared. It was a cube like thing with various probes sticking out. On the front of the cube were various buttons and dials and a screen. A metal helmet was attached to the top of the cube by a wire. "This device that Professor Gilbert and his team have created allows us to extract magic from a druid"

Arthur looked up at his father in shock, his mind barely registering the disgust on Morgana's face. He heard Lance let out a gasp. "How is that possible?" Someone whispered.

It was Professor Gilbert who answered, prattling gibberish on how the device worked that Arthur completely tuned out.

"And what happens to the magic extracted? Does it get stored anywhere or something?" Lance asked.

"I'm not sure exactly. I suspect we can use it for energy. My team is looking into it"

Uther spoke. "This has been something scientists have been striving to achieve over the past century. It once used to be a dream, but today has become reality. We can use this to extract a druid's magic and render them magic less. Without their magic they won't be a threat to us anymore."

"And what makes you think they will agree to this madness?" Morgana objected, pointing out a vital point.

"Oh, they will, trust me" Uther grinned with promise. A chill ran down Arthur's spine.

"We'll start with Emrys. That thief has been robbing our livelihoods for half a year, eluding us with his magic. Once this device is done with him, he will have no magic and the hope of the druids will be destroyed. Arthur you're taking this device when you search for him tonight"

"Father, we can't even catch Emrys normally, I don't think we would be even able to persuade him to let us use that on him"

"You won't have to worry about persuading him or anyone else for that matter" Professor Gilbert said, catching the curious gazes of everyone in the room. Gilbert gestured at Uther, who pressed a button on the remote causing the image to change. This time the screen displayed a pistol like device.

"We can drug the druids before extracting their magic. But there seems to be a problem. The device requires the mind of the druid alert for the magic extraction process to occur successfully. And that can't always be possible, especially with Emrys"

"So what are you suggesting?" Leon asked.

"Well this here," Gilbert said gesturing to the screen, "isn't just any pistol. It shoots out needles with mortisine, a chemical that attacks the motor region of the brain causing the body to be paralysed. But the mind will still be alert which is what we need for the magic extractor to work."

"So you'll be extracting their magic without their own will?" Morgana asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Morgana" Uther warned.

"Uh…yeah…I suppose" The Professor babbled under her unwavering gaze.

"And what, you think they'll be happy about that? You taking their will away, you taking their magic away? And does it even work? How do you know it won't cause any side effects? Have you even tested it?"

"ENOUGH MORGANA"

Everyone sat up watching as Uther's face turned a nasty purple. Arthur could see a vein throb on his father's neck. He groaned when Morgana opened her mouth. Doesn't she ever learn? "I won't be a part of this wicked madness" Morgana told Uther as she stood up glaring at him. Everyone watched astonished as she determinedly stalked out of the conference room, an action no one would dare do in Uther's presence.

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_So what did you think? This chapter pretty much wrote itself._

_Gwen wasn't such a major character, but I'm thinking on expanding her character more later on. So keep reading and reviewing. I really do like it when people review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Uni is really tiring and I've already got a mountain load of things to do. Anyway heres chapter 4. I'd really love it if you can tell me what you think!_

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He couldn't believe the nerve of Morgana. After that display, Morgana had walked out leaving Arthur to face Uther's fury. His father had ranted at _him_ when it was clearly Morgana's fault. Frankly Arthur was annoyed. How dare Morgana pull a stunt like that? After Morgana had pulled her stunt, Professor Gilbert had stuttered something about needing to be somewhere and had scurried out so quickly Arthur didn't have time to blink. The others followed quickly, all mumbling excuses, leaving Arthur alone with his furious father.

Getting on to the elevator, Arthur jabbed the level number so hard that the other man in the lift looked at him nervously and started edging away. Arthur sighed, trying to calm himself down. He wasn't sure who he was annoyed at, Morgana or his father. The elevator opened at level three and the other man scrambled out not looking back once. Great, now that man probably thought Arthur was some lunatic and all because of Morgana.

The elevator doors closed and continued downwards, as Arthur's feelings of annoyance and exhaustion built. Finally when the elevator reached the research level, Arthur stormed out, not even once glancing at the security guard standing next to the lift. This was a security level, meaning that everyone who came down here needed to present their id cards. But the guard, probably recognising Arthur and sensing his frustration let him go. Arthur stalked down the corridor, passing room after room, each displaying the many magical artefacts that had been confiscated from the druids over the years. These artefacts were a symbol of the company's triumph over magic, and Arthur was sure that if these artefacts didn't display dangerous properties, his father would've displayed them in a museum or someplace similar for the world to see. But as it was, these artefacts were locked up safe and only a few had the authority to see them.

Reaching the door at the end of the corridor, he pushed it open knowing that Morgana would be inside. The room was dimly lit and it took Arthur a moment for his eyes to adjust. He coughed at the musty smell that always seemed to emanate from this room. On the far side o the room, he could see two figures hunched up, looking at a computer screen.

"I can't believe you just did that! And I had to pay for your foolishness!" Arthur growled, but he received no reply. This only seemed to fuel his annoyance even more.

"Didn't you hear me? I said…" Arthur growled even louder.

"If you're quite finished, Arthur, some of us have work to do" Came Morgana's nonchalant rely. Beside her Lancelot sniggered, still staring at the screen in front of him. Arthur gaped; he couldn't believe the nerve of this woman. She was so aggravating.

"If you haven't anything else to say, please leave. We are very busy" Morgana spoke after a moment.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked striding forward curiously. He walked towards the table that held some rather curious objects. Some were laid out on a piece of cloth, while others were wrapped in tissue. But the object that truly caught Arthur's attention was the thick, brown book on the table. Arthur raised his brows seeing the book was leather bound, he didn't realise anyone bound books with leather these days. The front had gold arcane symbols.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" A voice snapped. Arthur straightened, surprised that the normally well-mannered and reserved Lance spoke to him like that. Even Morgana seemed surprised by Lance's tone as she looked at Lance stunned.

"Er, well I mean…that book is delicate and well…you know" Lance amended stammering.

Morgana rolled her eyes. "What he means is be careful with it"

Arthur nodded and gingerly picked up the book. The book was surprisingly heavy. He put the book back on the table not wanting to drop it and have both Morgana and Lance pissed at him. His fingers trailed over the smooth leather of the book, tracing the arcane symbols. He knew without a doubt this was a book of magic.

"Where did you get this?" He asked the pair who had turned back to whatever they had been doing.

"It was found in Gaius's house along with those other things," Morgana gestured to the other objects on the table and Arthur let his eyes skim over the objects, "they gave it to us in hopes we might be able to discern what it says"

"I thought Gaius wasn't a druid?" Arthur asked confused.

"He wasn't" Lance confirmed.

"It's a shame he was caught" Morgana sighed.

"Don't let Father hear you say that" Arthur warned his foster sister. Arthur still remembered the night two weeks ago when Morgana had barged into his apartment. It had been one of those rare nights when he didn't have to join the detective agents in the hunt for Emrys and he had been thoroughly enjoying it, when Morgana had come in claiming that Gaius had been thrown in jail. Apparently over the years, Gaius had helped countless druids escape imprisonment. Arthur had been truly stunned. Gaius had never shown he supported druids. There was nothing to suggest Gaius had ever supported the druids and Arthur believed it to be a nightmare. Gaius had been the medical expert and had often helped a young Arthur with his injuries. Gaius had often taken care of both he and Morgana when Uther couldn't. So naturally Arthur couldn't believe that of Gaius, but had to face the harsh reality when faced with the evidence. Apparently there had been many magical objects found in Gaius's home. Morgana had been livid and had demanded Uther free Gaius but all in vain.

"You don't know where he's being held?" Morgana asked.

Arthur breathed deeply. "You asked me that yesterday Morgana."

"Well surely Uther would've told you" Morgana persisted.

"He hasn't Morgana" Arthur was growing weary of this argument.

"Did you at least ask?"

"Father's not going to tell me"

"Surely you don't believe Gaius a criminal for supporting druids?"

"It doesn't matter what I believe. Father believes so and that's all that matters" Arthur replied through gritted teeth. His fingers were still trailing over the book.

"Arthur, you'll be running the company after Uther. If you don't believe in this, in what Uther believes in you won't have a successful company. Arthur, as the son of Uther Pendragon, if you don't believe in this you have the power to change things" Morgana said quietly.

Arthur sighed, not wanting to think about these things. Was his father right in persecuting the druids? It was something that been plaguing Arthur for a while now, and still was not sure what the answer was. He had seen many petitions over the last few years to release druids from their imprisonment, to give druids more rights. He had even been asked to sign a few. There had been other activists who spoke out against the Pendragon Industries. Of course most of these people had been taken in for questioning on suspicion of being corrupted by druids and pro druidian protests had been made illegal. But it had made Arthur wonder. Could they possibly be _right_? But then there was Emrys, who was proving to be a menace. Arthur shook his head. He didn't want to think about this now, it was too complicated.

Tentatively Arthur opened the leather cover of the book. Mindful of Morgana's warning, he carefully flipped the thin leathery pages of the book. Some pages displayed some writing in a strange language, others displayed colourful and rather vivid images of beasts, plants and even objects. As he got towards the end of the book, he noticed that the last few sections looked as if it may have been added in recently. The bindings seemed stronger and the inks used were brighter. The pages too were thicker.

"Were you able to translate this?" Arthur asked the two. Morgana looked at him sadly for changing the subject, but did not press.

It was Lance that answered. "Our translators weren't able to translate the earlier parts of the book. It seems that the earlier sections of the book was written in an older druidian tongue. We'll have to develop software capable of translating older druidian tongues. But we were able to translate the later sections. It seems the book has been added to over the centuries. Most of it are just stories and descriptions of magical beasts and plants. There are spells and instructions for performing magical rituals. There are a few prophecies here too. You'll be interested in this one" Lance took the book from Arthur and opened it to the page. The page had thick blue letterings and golden patterns bordered the page. "This one is the Legend of the Emrys."

"Emrys?"

"Yes, I'd say this was written at least five hundred years ago," Lance seemed almost excited, "according to this Emrys is a legendary figure who will be born when magic itself is in peril. Emrys is said to be the greatest sorcerer to ever live. The Prophecy says that Emrys will bring back magic to this land and peace along with it"

"You think that Emrys the thief is the same Emrys that this prophecy speaks of"

"Possibly" Morgana hummed in agreement.

"This is ridiculous. This is just a load of rubbish, stories that the druids probably made up"

"Then explain Emrys, the thief you've been unable to catch for the last six months" Morgana countered.

"He could just be a druid who came across this _prophecy_ and decided to call himself Emrys. That doesn't mean it's real"

"All the druids seem to believe in him"

Arthur sighed. "Morgana, how could anyone possibly predict what will happen in five centuries? And besides, how does some all-powerful individual suddenly be born when magic is in peril? Doesn't that seem strange to you? That sort of thing only happens in stories not in real life."

"Maybe it's magic" Morgana whispered, looking at Arthur through wide eyes. Arthur groaned for having fallen into that trap.

"It seems real to me" Lance added. Arthur massaged his temples. He couldn't understand how they both seemed to believe this.

"Whatever, I should take this to father, he…"

"NO!" Two voices cried

Arthur paused, mid speech, stunned.

Morgana recovered first. "You can't give this to Uther. He'll destroy it."

"So? I wouldn't mind if it's destroyed" Arthur asked wondering the problem was.

"What do you mean so?" Morgana screeched, "This is important to the druids. It's precious. God knows how long they've had this book, centuries by the looks of it maybe even a millennium. Thank god Gaius had the sense to look after it. If Uther gets his hands on this, he'll destroy it, just like he's done with their culture. Most of the druids alive today don't even know their culture because of Uther"

"Besides we haven't translated everything yet. There are lots of other prophecies. I came across one about the Once and Future, we haven't translated that yet." Lance added. Arthur just stared, what on earth was he talking about?

"Father should still see this" Arthur could not understand how they both could be so against it.

"No Arthur, you can't, not yet anyway. Now unlike you we have work to do, so if you don't mind please leave"

Arthur found himself being manhandled by Morgana as she pushed him out of the room. He opened his mouth to voice his displeasure at being manhandled, when he found the door slammed shut. Growling in frustration, Arthur stormed down the corridor and into the lift, pretending to have not noticed the security guard by the lift shake his head.

* * *

_What did you think? Is it good or do you think its getting a bit boring?_


	5. Chapter 5

It was near midday when Freya's screeching voice woke Merlin from his well-deserved sleep.

"Merlin! Wake up! Come see this!"

Resigned to the fact that he would not be getting anymore sleep, Merlin dragged himself over to the couch where Freya was sitting cross-legged. Beside her sat Gwaine and Arra, who both grinned up at him. Will sat on the floor, leaning his head against the sofa. Arra was perhaps the youngest of them all, being only fourteen years of age. It had been some seven years ago when Arra and her mother had stumbled upon Iseldir's clan. While Arra displayed signs of magic, her mother had no such thing, suggesting druid ancestry somewhere in the family tree. It seemed that Arra's father had suspected the same thing and had thrown out both his wife and his daughter. It hadn't seemed to occur to him that perhaps it was his bloodline that was tainted and not his wife's. Arra and her mother had been trying to leave the city when they came across Iseldir's druid clan. They were allowed to stay, and not even two weeks later Arra was left motherless. It was happenings like this that truly made Merlin hate the world. How could the hatred of magic run so deeply that a father would throw out his seven year old daughter? The father had thrown out his daughter claiming that she was 'evil' for having magic, yet wasn't he evil for throwing out his daughter? The irony of the situation never ceased to amaze Merlin.

Gwaine had been an interesting character that Merlin and Will had met when they had somehow gotten involved in an alley brawl three years ago. The pair had been trying to make their way home when they had been apprehended by a group of street thugs who thought they were druids and attacking them. Will and Merlin had denied being druids of course, but it fell on deaf ears. Merlin had been doing his best to try not to use magic that would give them away. It was then that Gwaine had appeared, knocking the thugs unconscious. Merlin had been stunned, he had never seen anyone fight in such an unorthodox manner, but it had done the job. Gwaine was a hopeless drunk, on the run from debt collectors. Even after he learnt that Will and Merlin were druids, he didn't show the same prejudice that most people had. He had even asked if he could tag along, seeing as he couldn't exactly go back to his home where there were most likely debt collectors waiting. And Gwaine has been with them since.

"What is it?" Merlin groaned.

Freya merely nodded at the television screen. It was perhaps the only piece of luxury they had in this hole they called home. It was only because of Freya's insistence that they keep up to date with the world outside that they had gotten this (stolen to be more specific).

Onscreen Uther Pendragon's stern face was shown. Behind him was the ominous building of the Pendragon Industries' headquarters.

"…yes," Uther was saying, "Emrys is becoming more of a problem than we originally thought."

Merlin sat down beside Will, shooting Freya a curious look. This sounded very important.

"The threat of Emrys," Uther continued onscreen, "has grown over the past few months. We're not just looking at thief that has been stealing our livelihoods, stealing what we've been working hard for. But it has grown beyond that."

"What the hell does he mean?" Will exclaimed, "We steal to survive, does he think of that? When you're criminalised for being born stealing is the only way to survive. But do they even realise that?"

Freya kicked Will from behind, urging him to be quiet. Will turned around and glared at her.

"Well, be quiet" She told him.

Onscreen, Uther continued his speech. "…we're not dealing with a simple thief. He has magic, powerful magic at that. The druids seem to regard him as some sort of saviour. He is here to tear apart everything I've ever worked for. He is going to completely destroy this safe city that we have built with his _magic_. We are so close to our victory over magic, but this Emrys looks like he might ruin everything."

"Victory over magic? Is he insane? You can't fight magic!"

"Will, shut up"

"We're not going to let him," the head of Pendragon Industries continued, " he may have declared war on us,("I did not" Merlin exclaimed) but we will not yield to such evil like him. We will be ready for him and fight back. Despite our efforts, there are still many druids wandering the streets. Help us in the fight against magic. If you see anyone you suspect of being a druid contact us and we will do everything we can to keep you safe. Our scientists have finally discovered a way to purge magic and we are very eager to begin using this new technology. If you are druid watching this, then understand we mean no harm. We only wish to help those who suffer the curse of magic. We now have a way that can rid you of the curse of magic. So come forward and let us help you. We are only doing this for your own good"

The speech ended, the screen now showing a reporter back on set. "What is this new technology Uther Pendragon speaks of you ask? Well, join us next Thursday as our reporter Alicia Skeeter investigates…Now moving on to other matters…"

Freya switched the television of and for a moment the five stared at the blank screen.

It was Will that broke the silence. "What did he mean by that? How can he rid the curse of magic?"

"I don't know" Merlin replied honestly.

"Is it even possible? To rid a person of their magic?" Arra voiced aloud Merlin's questions.

Freya shrugged. "Who knows, but I think we should lay low for a while. Especially you Merlin. They're already trying to capture Emrys. Now they've got this new technology that we have no idea about. Perhaps you should stay in tonight."

Merlin nodded, agreeing with her. He wasn't going to go anywhere this night because of his arm, which was still paining him, but this made matters worse.

"Would druids even let Uther try to help them? To get rid of their magic?" Gwaine asked curious. Even though he had spent three years with them, he was still curious and inquisitive on the subject of magic.

"Gwaine, magic is a part of us. Trying to get rid of it is like cutting of your arm. I don't know why Uther seems to think we're insane enough to try." Freya told him.

"What about Gaius? We have no idea where he is"

"His house has been empty for the past week. We can only assume that he has been caught." Merlin said.

"But he is not a druid, would they treat him the same or would they put him in one of the low security units?" Will asked

"You know, if I can get my hands on a computer I can try looking into that for you…" Gwaine mused. Gwaine had been some kind of a hacker before he had joined them, using his skill to try and worm his way out of trouble on many occasions.

"You'd be able to tell us where they're keeping him?" Will asked, his face brightening up.

"Uh…yeah…maybe…"Gwaine trailed off.

That night there was no sign of Emrys anywhere. The helicopters skimmed the sky in search of the elusive thief but to no avail. They searched every part of city, every nook and cranny Emrys was known to frequent, but there was not even a hint of a shadow that he had been there. Perhaps he hadn't come, Arthur thought. No, that couldn't be it, Emrys always came and he recently he had always made sure that the detectives saw him before pulling the disappearing act. So where was he tonight? Did he know about the device, the magic extractor and that's why he wasn't showing himself? No how could he have known?

"Maybe the bullet wound was worse than we thought" Ron mused beside him.

"Perhaps" The bullet wound may have been severe, but Arthur didn't peg Emrys as one who would let an injury stop him.

Arthur couldn't help the feeling of dread he felt. Emrys was nowhere in sight, and Arthur couldn't determine whether it was a good or bad sign. Did it mean that Emrys was not out that night? Or did it mean that Emrys was just too concealed within the shadows? And if so what did Emrys plan to do? It was nearly three am when Arthur finally conceded that Emrys was not going to show and even if he did, the detectives were not going to be able to spot him. Reluctantly he sent the agents home, ordering them to go straight to bed. He did not know what would await them in the morning and wanted them to be prepared.

Morgana dreamt that night. The images and visions came to her vividly and with clarity. She saw a buildings becoming ablaze, the orange flames flickering, climbing higher and higher. She saw flashes of golden eyes as the flames devoured everything. Fire brigades trying to detain the fires, but perishing in their efforts. Agonising terror and pain as people tried to escape. She saw Arthur's weary face as he took his last breath, covered by ash. Both druids and those without magic suffered the same fate. Everything was razed to the ground, black plumes of smoke rising over the ashes. And amidst the ruins and ashes stood a figure cloaked in black. Her silky blonde hair falling over her shoulders and her grey eyes piercing. Her mouth was pulled into a malicious sneer. "_The Pendragons will fall" _It was nothing but a hiss.

And Morgana woke screaming, her screams piercing the silent night as her heart raced. Something bad, something terrible was going to happen, she just knew it. Her hands shook as she put her kettle to boil. She could not go back to sleep, the flames and the blonde woman would haunt. She needed to tell someone of this but who would believe her? They would dismiss it as a mere nightmare and nothing more. But Morgana knew it was not a nightmare, it was a vision a sign of the future. After all most of her other dreams had come to pass. Like the time she had dreamt of a young Arthur tripping and falling into a pool and almost drowning. For the next few days Morgana had been wary of going to her swimming lessons and had done her best to keep him from going as well. But despite her efforts her vision had come to pass and Morgana had been so terrified. Over the years she had seen and known the faces of druids captured before they had been even captured. She had not known who to turn to. Uther would not understand. And she had a fear that Uther would believe it to be magic. Gaius had given her sleeping drugs to help her sleep, but sometimes the dreams still came. But this vision was by far the most terrifying. Was this what was going to happen? Did Uther's actions cause this? Or was it something else? Was it the druids? But they had never been so violent in their rebellion. She wished she could speak to someone about this, someone who would understand. Not for the first time, she wished she could still speak to Gaius. Gaius would understand. Tomorrow she would do whatever it took to find out where he was being held.

* * *

_Sorry it took a while for me to post this, but I've laden down with coursework and such plus I've also been busy with my other story. _

_Anyway please review and tell me what you thought! _


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